Tension escalated at Osmania University

Tension escalated at Osmania University on Monday after the police prevented the OUJAC members from taking out ‘Chalo Assembly’ march demanding the Telangana State government roll back its decision on regularising the services of contract employees.

The police laid siege to the OU campus since morning. All entry and exit routes leading to the campus were blocked and rows of concertina wire were put to prevent the students from coming out. Personnel drawn from various units were deployed to prevent any trouble.

Around noon, a group of students tried to take out a march when police stopped them at the NCC Gate and pushed them back. The protestors entered into an argument with the police, who however did not relent. Later, a few of them hurled stones at the policemen only to be chased away. The police took 10 students into custody at the NCC Gate, they were released later.

Later, the students burned an effigy of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and raised slogans against the government. They also demanded setting up Telangana State Public Service Commission and filling up of vacancies through notification. “We have fought for separate State in the hope of getting jobs but the government is doing injustice to us,” lamented K Manavata Rai, a student leader.

Meanwhile, another group of students who were planning to stage a protest near the Assembly were taken into custody and shifted to Shahinyathgunj police station. The police registered cases against five members.

A Sharp Warning From Sharad Pawar, For BJP in Maharashtra

ALIBAUG, MAHARASHTRA:  The minority government headed by Devendra Fadnavis in Maharashtra could

consider itself warned – a party which had pledged support has indicated that’s not a reliable offer.

Sharad Pawar today asked workers of his NCP to be ready for another election.

“We have to be ready to face snap polls in Maharashtra,” he said addressing a two-day party meeting which began today at Alibaug in Maharashtra’s Raigad district.

“Having a stable government in Maharashtra isn’t NCP’s responsibility,” said Mr Pawar, who said that this party, “was neutral during the trust vote” which was won last week by the Chief Minister and his party, the BJP. “We did not vote for or against the government,” said Mr Pawar, who was union minister in the government that was demolished by the BJP in May’s national election.

In last month’s election in Maharashtra, the BJP won the most seats but did not clear a majority. Mr Pawar had, within hours of the result being announced, offered unconditional support to a BJP government. But Mr Pawar has a reputation for being an unreliable partner – his announcement today will bolster that perception.

Despite weeks of extensive negotiations, the BJP has failed to strike a deal with its former ally, the Shiv Sena, which placed second in the election. The Sena, fronted by Uddhav Thackeray, wants to join the government, but the share of ministries that it wants has been rejected by the BJP.

The 25-year partnership between the BJP and the Sena came undone before the election; the BJP refused to accept junior status in Maharashtra, a decision that proved to be politically profitable.

The Sena voted against Mr Fadnavis in last week’s trust vote.

MoU signed between India and Australia to combat narcotics trafficking

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for combating narcotics trafficking and further developing police cooperation was signed between India and Australia here on Tuesday to address bilateral concerns regarding illicit trafficking and drug abuse.

The MoU was signed between Ministry of External Affairs, Secretary (East), Anil Wadhwa and Australian Minister for Justice Michael Keenan.

It places priority on tackling illicit trade, diversion of precursors, asset forfeiture and drug money laundering.

It will also promote capacity building and help develop strategies and procedures for operations to disrupt and dismantle transnational narcotic related threats.

Five MoUs have been signed between India and Australia during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the country from November 16 to November 18.

Prime Minister Modi, who was in Canberra today, has now left for Melbourne after which he will depart for Fiji for the third leg of his three-nation, 10 day trip.

uranium export under safeguards; Modi, Abbott vow closer defence, trade ties

India and Australia pledged closer defence and security ties Tuesday while stressing the importance of economic cooperation a day after Canberra sealed a huge trade pact with fellow Asian superpower China.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was given a rock star welcome by thousands of rapturous supporters in Sydney on Monday, described warmer relations as “natural”.

“This is a natural partnership emerging from our shared values and interests and strategic maritime locations,” he said in Canberra after inking agreements on drug control, social security, and tourism, as well a new framework on security cooperation.

“Security and defence are important and growing areas of the new India- Australia partnership for advancing regional peace and stability and combating terrorism and transnational crimes,” he added ahead of addressing parliament.

His comments came a day after Chinese President Xi Jinping used the same venue to repeatedly pledge that his nation, which is involved in territorial conflicts with a handful of neighbours, would always use peaceful means in pursuit of its goals.

Modi’s trip Down Under — for the G20 summit in Brisbane and a state visit — is the first by an Indian prime minister in 28 years.

It comes just two months after Abbott’s tour of India, during which the two countries sealed a long-awaited nuclear energy deal.

Modi, said injecting new momentum into bilateral trade and business relations was also of key importance, calling Australia “a vital partner”.

He called for Indian businesses to have easier access to Australian markets and quicker investment approvals.

“India and Australia have a great economic synergy. There are huge opportunities for a partnership in every area we can think of — agriculture, resources, energy, finance, infrastructure, education and science and technology,” he said.

“The economic climate in India has changed. I believe it will be a lot easier to convert opportunities into concrete outcomes.”

Move beyond cricket

On Monday, Australia sealed a landmark trade deal with China that will abolish tariffs in the lucrative resources and most agricultural sectors as Canberra confronts a painful downturn in mining.

Abbott already has his eye on a similar outcome with India, flagging the prospect of a pact by the end of next year.

“By the end of next year we will have a free trade deal with what is potentially the world’s largest market,” Abbott said, adding that both leaders “will make it happen”.

Abbott added that the bilateral relationship was ready to move beyond cricket, a sport in which they have a long-time rivalry.

“We in Australia tend to associate India with cricket and with sport,” he said.

“But we can never forget that India is an intellectual powerhouse, a potential economic powerhouse,” he said, pointing to trade being “underdeveloped” while urging better intelligence and military cooperation.

“There’s an enthusiasm on both our parts for more bilateral and trilateral military exercises and we hope to see much more of that in the years ahead,” the Australian leader said.

For his part, Modi said it was important that any economic growth did not impact on the environment or climate.

“(We need) energy that does not cause our glaciers to melt, clean coal and gas, renewable energy, a fuel for nuclear power, cities that are more sustainable and liveable,” he said.

“We see Australia as one of our foremost partners in the region,” he said.

Modi also referenced cricket to highlight the shared history of the two countries.

“India and Australia can play cricket hard with each other and I suspect we will next month,” he said referring to his country playing a Test series in Australia.

Modi later travels to a function at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where India will face Australia in the traditional Boxing Day Test this year.

Central Command: U.S. targets Islamic militants with more airstrikes in Syria, Iraq

WASHINGTON – U.S. military forces conducted 11 air strikes against Islamic militants in Syria and 20 in Iraq since Friday, Central Command said on Monday.

Nine of the Syria strikes were near the Turkish border city of Kobani and destroyed seven Islamic State positions and four staging areas and struck one unit, the command said in a statement. Two near Dayr Az Zawr hit an Islamic State crude oil collection facility and destroyed a tank, it said

The U.S.-led strikes in Iraq were concentrated in the west and north of that country, with five near Baiji, four near Rutba and three near Kirkuk and three around Mosul and the Mosul Dam, Centcom said.

The strikes in Iraq destroyed nine trucks, two excavators, two bulldozers and two front-loaders used by the militants and hit their tactical units and fighting positions, it said.

Qadri dares govt: Catch me if you can

LONDON: Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Tahirul Qadri said on Monday that the Nawaz government cannot dare to arrest him.
Talking to media in the British capital, Qadri said that he is ready to be arrested 100 times but the government cannot dare to do so. He said no power on earth could stop him from returning to Pakistan. The controversial cleric again dismissed the notion he had travelled abroad as a result of a deal with the government. “Is declaring me a proclaimed offender part of the deal?” he questioned and added he would continue to visit Europe, North America and other countries as part of his international commitments relating to Minhajul Quran and his party.
Qadri dismissed the allegations that his party organised an attack on parliament and state-run Pakistan Television headquarters in Islamabad. Instead, he alleged, these attacks were planned by the government itself. Referring to Model Town tragedy, Qadri said that his party has rejected the joint investigative team constituted by the Punjab government. Qadri again appealed to the army chief to intervene to provide justice to the victims. He urged Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif to use his influence to get a free, fair and impartial investigation team appointed to probe the Model Town incident. Qadri said that it is not the first time that the army has been called to investigate a killing. Referring to the killing of four sessions and civil judges, who were murdered inside the Sialkot jail, he said the chief justice of the Lahore High Court had requested the Pakistan Army to help appoint an impartial investigation team to investigate the killings.

Details that you may have missed from Salman Khan’s sister’s wedding

Salman Khan’s sister Arpita’s wedding will be one of the biggest Bollywood events of this year. It’s already beaten Baba Siddique’s iftaar party hollow thanks to the adorable picture of Salman and Shah Rukh’s both kissing the blushing bride, and a guest list that includes names like Narendra Modi, Amitabh Bachchan, Sonia Gandhi and Aamir Khan. There is no denying that this is the wedding of the season.

But while every little detail of Arpita’s wedding is being shared, very little is known about the bride-to-be herself. So, as we gear up for Salman Khan’s sister’s wedding, here’s all you need to know about her:

1.Arpita is the adopted daughter of Salim Khan. While some reports claim that it was his first wife (Salma) who adopted her, others claim that it was Helen who had picked up crying Arpita from the street, when she was a baby and later adopted her. Some reports also suggest that Arpita’s mother had died on a footpath leaving the child alone.

2. Recently Arpita got a tattoo of a star, containing the names of all her family members — Salim Khan, mothers Salma and Helen, brothers Salman, Arbaaz. Sohail, sister Arpita and friend Deeksha. The other two words visible on the star are Love and Luck.

3. Arpita studied at London College of Fashion and holds a degree in fashion marketing and management. Currently she is working at an architectural and interior design firm in Mumbai. The bride-to-be never really had any interest in being in front of the camera, quite unlike her fiance, Ayush Sharma who is willing to give up his business for the sake of acting. However, Arpita wants to launch a fashion brand on her own and also wants to try her hand in film production.

4. Reportedly, when Arjun Kapoor was 18-years-old and weighed 140 kgs, Arpita dated him for two years. While the reason behind the break-up is not yet known, Kapoor is still very close to the Khan family and it was Salman Khan who inspired him to shed his extra kilos and join films.

5. Arpita always wanted to get married in a palace and therefore Salman has booked the Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad for her wedding. The wedding is on 18 November and not only will it be a star studded wedding, but the normally reclusive Helen will also perform.

WhatsApp introduced a feature allowed users to view messages with the help of two blue ticks.

Last week, WhatsApp introduced a feature which allowed users to view whether their messages were read or not with the help of two blue ticks.

Some people found it interesting while the rest, were freaking out. A single tick indicted that the message was sent; two ticks indicated that it was delivered and two blue ticks proved that your massage has been read by the opposite recipient. It seemed for a while that this move might have been a bad decision compelling users to forcefully reply to messages and there was no escape.

Given the outcry, WhatsApp is now making some changes. The mobile messaging service quietly introduced a new feature which allows you to disable the blue ticks ‘read receipts’. Remember that once disabled, users cannot check if others have read their messages either. This feature is again, only available for Android users. The new 2.11.444 WhatsApp version is available for download on their website.

Follow the simple steps to download the latest APK file from WhatsApp. (Make sure your smartphone is running on Android 2.1 or higher version.)

1. Your first step will be to go Settings and enable ‘Download from Unknown Sources’.

2. Later, go to WhatsApp’s website and download the APK File.

3. Once downloaded, Install th

e app to your phone.

4. Once installed, open WhatsApp and head to ‘Settings’.

5. Go to Account and click on Privacy.

6. You will have the option, ‘Read Receipts’. Click on it and it will disable the blue ticks in your messages.

This update is not yet available on Google Play Store. The update is not available for iOS and Windows yet.

Toyota will begin selling fuel cell cars in Japan on December 15

Tokyo: There will only be a few hundred, and they won’t be cheap, but Toyota is about to take its first small step into the unproven market for emissions-free, hydrogen-powered vehicles.

The world’s largest automaker announced Tuesday that it will begin selling fuel cell cars in Japan on December 15 and in the US and Europe in mid-2015. The sporty-looking, four-door Toyota Mirai will retail for 6.7 million yen ($57,600) before taxes. Toyota Motor Corp hopes to sell 400 in Japan and 300 in the rest of the world in the first year.

“In time, the fuel cell vehicle will become mainstream. We wanted to take the first step,” said Mitsuhisa Kato, a Toyota executive vice president, at the vehicle’s launch Tuesday. “We want to be at the leading edge.”

Fuel cell vehicles run on compressed hydrogen gas, which in the Mirai’s case is stored in two tanks mounted underneath the vehicle. They emit no exhaust, though fossil fuels are used in the production of hydrogen and to pressurize it. Both Honda and Hyundai are also experimenting with limited sales and leases of fuel cell cars. Honda showed a fuel cell concept car on Monday.

Besides the relatively high cost, buyers will have to contend with finding fuel. Only a few dozen hydrogen filling stations have been built worldwide, though governments are subsidizing the construction of more.

It’s an uncertain future that depends both on whether makers can bring down the price, and a wide-enough network of filling stations is built. Yoshikazu Tanaka, deputy chief engineer for Toyota’s next generation vehicle development, said he expects it will take 10-20 years for the Mirai to reach sales in the tens of thousands of vehicles a year.

Asked if it’s a risk, he said yes, but Toyota views it as a challenge. Likening it to a chicken and egg situation, he said if you say it’s too risky and don’t move forward with production, the number of filling stations will never grow. Toyota faced a similar scenario with its gasoline-electric hybrid, the Prius, which now sells in big numbers.

“It was a big challenge when we first introduced the Prius, or hybrid car, in 1997,” he said in an interview in Tokyo. “And it’s an even bigger challenge this time because there is no infrastructure, and we’re trying to lead” the commercialization of fuel cell cars.

Hoping to offset the inconvenience of finding fuel, Toyota gave the car a futuristic look inside and out – Mirai means future in Japanese – and made it peppy to try to attract buyers. It accelerates particularly quickly from about 40 to 70 kilometers (25 to 45 miles) per hour, Tanaka said.

The Japanese government also plans to offer a 2 million yen subsidy to purchasers of fuel cell cars, reducing the effective price to 4.7 million yen.

Sales will be limited to the primarily urban areas that have fueling stations.

In Japan, with about 30 stations, that means the regions around Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya cities in central and western Japan and the northern part of Kyushu island in the south. A few stations have opened in California in the United States, and there are plans to build some in the Northeast. Germany and the United Kingdom are among European countries that have or plan to build them.

The company has about 200 pre-orders for the vehicle, mainly government agencies and companies that want to go green, the company said. Over time, Kato said, Toyota hopes to help build a “hydrogen society.”

The Mirai can travel 650 to 700 kilometers (400-435 miles) on its two tanks of hydrogen. Hydrogen may be more expensive than gas initially, because there are so few customers but, over time, Toyota expects it will be cheaper to run a car on hydrogen than with gas.

“To rely less on oil is very important,” said Kato. “Japan has to spend its money to import fuel, so we should use it as carefully as possible.” 

Too much salt in one’s diet increases the risk of contracting kidney problems

The researchers found high sodium intake (an average of 4.7g a day) is linked with an increased risk of needing dialysis, but no benefit was seen for low sodium intake (average 2g a day).

“Our findings extend the known benefits of healthy eating and show that the consumption of a healthy diet may protect from future major renal events,” said Andrew Smyth from the National University of Ireland, Galway.

“As dietary modification is a low-cost, simple intervention, it offers the potential to significantly reduce the burden from chronic kidney disease, while also protecting from cardiovascular disease,” Smyth added in the study involving 544,635 participants.

These findings were confirmed by a separate study that found that reducing salt intake reduces albuminuria, or excess protein in the urine, which is a hallmark of kidney dysfunction.

In the study involving 120 rural villages in China, researchers analysed the results of an 18-month sodium reduction programme.

The findings of the study led by Meg Jardine from The George Institute for International Health, in Australia and her colleagues revealed that individuals who underwent sodium reduction had a 33 percent decreased likelihood of having albuminuria compared with individuals in the control villages.

Both the studies were presented at ASN (American Society of Nephrology) Kidney Week Nov 11-16, 2014 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Sydney’s Allphones Arena

Sydney:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi today told the Indian Diaspora living in Australia that there are many people who were born after independence and therefore could not get the opportunity to sacrifice their lives for the nation but they all have the opportunity now to live for the country.

“We couldn’t die for the nation, but we can live for the nation, that is something that everyone has the opportunity to do,” Narendra Modi told a rapturous crowd at Allphones Arena  of Olympic park in Sydney.

“I am fortunate that I am the first PM of India who was born in independent India,hence I feel greater responsibility.We couldn’t die for the nation, but we can live for the nation, that is something that everyone has got the opportunity to do. It takes one day to come to Australia, but it took 28 years for an Indian PM to come here. My friends in Australia I assure you…you won’t have to wait for 28 years,” said Modi.

“India is young. Full of young energy. We have capacity to work. Swami had talked about it. It was his dream – In front of my eyes, I can see my mother as vishwa guru. She will be a guide to the world. That is why I have faith in the great vision of the Swami. 6 months are nothing for this huge nation. I want to ask you, do you have the faith that I have? Can we serve humanity, can we stand tall again? We you agree, they your faith will become god’s blessing. If you have faith then there is nothing that can stop us,” added Modi.

02:32 pm: Modi concludes his speech with chants of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’

02:31 PM: Modi- God is pleased when we work for others.

02:27 pm: Modi- We have an embassy in Sydney, where I wish to set up cultural centre. If you have any complain, suggestion or solution then you can post on my website. You will now get visa on arrival. Are you happy? (Crowd cheers). We are working towards this. You have taken a special train to come here. It’s a working day, and look at the crowd. I was extremely grateful for your love. I assure you, I will not falter in working hard. Whatever energy I have I will use for my nation. India has given us a lot and its time we return.

02:26 pm: Modi-There is also this debate about OCI and PIO, about special treatments. I have decided to merge both. When I made promises to PIOs/NRIs they didnt belve me because promises had been made bfr,but we got working on it.Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be held on the same day that Mahatma Gandhi returned to India.You remember there was a time of police verification for you when you came to India. It was very odd.I have started a website called mygov.in. Please post your suggestions and your complaints on it.

02:24 pm: Modi- you might feel that when we go to the embassies nobody answers us. No one receives calls, or responds. You might think – ok Modi was here and now we are back to square one. I had spoken in Madison square garden, but people didn’t believe that I would fulfill what I had promised. But I did. My people in US will get a lifetime visa. Ahmedabad will be celebrating Pravasi Bharati divas. Mahatma Gandhi’s return from Africa will be celebrated as the occasion completes 100 years

02:22 pm: Modi- To get your applications approved you needed a minister or gazetted officer’s signature. But I did not like it it. We must have faith in people – NOT DOUBT THEM. Had I not no faith in the poor, they would not have deposited Rs 500 crore in the banks. We must respect our mothers and sisters. I introduced shrameva jayate.

02:20 pm: Modi- Ab dunia bahubal say nahii, buddhibal say chalnii vaali hai. Now the world is not going to fight with armforce . The world will now engage in battle f mind of intellect. I know that behind these cheers, love and respect, you have hope. I too share your dreams. You want to see India at a higher realm, I too want to see India there. But now we know that governments don’t run the country. It’s the people who run the country.

02:15 pm: Modi: We have decided that railway must have four institute of its own and those who educate themselves in the institute will be illegible for the job.  There are many nations who have technology, but insufficient workforce. No matter how we advance in technology, if there is no workforce, no one will reap and our nation has done enough to create workforce. But that is not enough. We need skilled workforce. If we can export the best quality of teachers, then we will be able to buy the world. We can create such individuals who can skillfully lead the world. With a lot of courage we opted for 100% FDI in railways in India. Have such a huge market & window for improvement.

02:13 pm: Modi-We have started Make in India programme, everything for job creation for our youth who can contribute to the world. Whenever someone wants to invest in a country, the investors need to be given high quality of life.That is what “Make In India” aims to do. In Gujarat wanted Japanese investment but were told if u dont hv golf, Japanese wont come. So created golf course.

02:10 pm: Modi- We are moving with the same technology, same system. We have the same trains- population is increasing but coaches are the same, speed is the same. So we have decided to introduce 100% FDI in railway. No one will ever get more passengers than in India in the railway.

02:04 pm: Modi- I am grateful to all those who have contributed. In 2019, on Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birthday anniversary- we want a clean India. This is a tribute that we can pay to our leader. We need strength to undertake this task. We want the world to invest in India. That is why I launched ‘Make in India’ campaign. I want my country’s youth to get employed. That is why I have invited the world to invest. Even if someone comes to invest, they will ask what about qualitative life? When I was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, I was told, if there is not golf in Gujarat then Japan wouldn’t come to Gujarat. I know that Gujarat has gully- danda, but golf…I told my ministers, I don’t care about golf, I just want investors and you get them anyhow.

02:00 pm: Modi- If 1.25 billion people unite for a cause, then there is no way we can falter.  These days I’m busy building toilets. Imgagine, a Prime Minister now has to be involved in this too. But it’s important for a nation where women are facing hygiene issues because of this. Therefore, I request you all, try to help your country in whatever small way you can. When I had come to Australia before this, the most outstanding attribute of Australia that I noticed was dignity of labor.I have launched Swachch Bharat Abhiyaan  as a Prime Minister, I am not ashamed – and I have learned this from Australia.I have always admired the concept of dignity of labour in Australia. A research scientist can also drive a cab. Dignity of labor should be learned from Australia. Want to propagate the idea that cleaning isn’t below dignity.

01:55 pm: Modi- From October 2, I launched Swachch Bharat Abhiyaan. Do you dirty your place here? But what happens when you go to India? I know its not an easy task to clear out all the mess. But if it’s difficult should we not at least try? If we take up the challenge then the bad image of India can also be cleaned up. I invite you all to contribute to the movement in any way you can. We call the man who picks up our garbage as kachrewala, he is safaiwala. We have to change mindset. Illness is a big burden on the poor. There is no greater service to the poor than focussing on cleanliness.

Bandaru Dattatreya Union Minister for Labour and Employment promises to help complete Hyderabad Metro Rail

Hyderabad: Union labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya said the Hyderabad Metro Rail was his dream and that he would ensure all the cooperation from the Centre for its speedy completion.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, “The realignment of Metro on certain stretches will impose an additional financial burden. The Centre had already given Rs 1,458 crore as vialbility gap funding. If the need arises, I will convince the Centre to sanction another Rs 1,500 crore to ensure that the project does not get affected due to financial problems.”

Referring to his priorities as labour minister, Mr Dattatreya said, “I will focus on imparting skills to the nearly 42 crore strong unorganised labour sector. Industry-friendly policies will be promoted to increase industrialisation as that would increase employment.”

He said he would talk to trade unions who have planned a nationwide protest on December 5 against the alleged anti-worker policies of the NDA, and work for a solution. The government is simplifing labour laws and ending arbitrariness in inspections of factories, he said. He said he would work for the welfare of lakhs of beedi  workers and others in Telangana.

Congress MLA joined the TRS

Hyderabad: One more Congress MLA joined the TRS on Sunday. Chevella MLA K.Yadaiah and several local ZPTCs, MPTCs, sarpanches and hundreds of activists joined the TRS in the presence of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao at the Telangana Bhavan.

He was welcomed into the party by Mr Rao with the party’s pink khanduva. He praised Mr Yadaiah for his decision to join the TRS and said his entry would strengthen the ruling party to achieve ‘Bangaru Telangana’ (golden Telangana).

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Rao urged all political parties to join hands to get Bangaru Telangana by setting aside their political differences. He promised to turn Chevella into the most developed constituency though it was neglected for years despite its close proximity to Hyderabad.

Stating that he was inspired by Mr Rao’s vision, Mr Yadaiah offered total support in working towards the development of Telangana State. With Mr Yadaiah’s entry into TRS, the Congress had lost four of its MLAs in about five months out of its original strength of 21 MLAs in the House.

Earlier, three Congress MLAs K.Kanakayya, G.Vittal Reddy and D.S.Redya Naik had joined TRS. Despite Congress making several attempts to prevent Mr Yadaiah from joining the

TRS, they proved futile.

TRS MLA Konda Surekha who spoke on the occasion said that with Mr Yadiah joining TRS, the ruling party has been further strengthened in Ranga Reddy district and Congress has become a ‘closed chapter’.

The ‘Modi Express’ Chugs In Too, PM Narendra Modi reaches Allphones Arena, to address Indian diaspora soon

SYDNEY:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Sydney today after three days in Brisbane, where he attended the annual G20 summit. In Sydney, PM Modi will make his first public address in Australia at the Allphones Arena in the Olympic Park at 6.30 pm Sydney time (1 pm IST). 16,000 Australian-Indians are expected to attend.

1. “Hello Sydney!” said a tweet from the Prime Minister’s Office, accompanied by a photo of Mr Modi waving as he arrived at the Sydney airport dressed in a pink shirt, grey trousers and a blue half-jacket. PM Modi, who is the first Indian prime minister to visit Australia in 28 years, will be in Sydney for six hours.
2. “Modi fever grips Sydney,” the Canberra Times said in a headline on Sunday. “The city will get a dose of Modi-mania when the Indian Prime Minister makes a quick-fire, high-energy visit,” the newspaper said in a report in its online edition.
3. Mr Modi was given warm welcome in Sydney. Traditional Australian artists performed and a boomerang was gifted to the PM. The reception later in the evening has been organised by members of the Australian-Indian community.
4. About 220 Modi fans traveled 11 hours on a specially chartered train being called the “Modi Express” for the Sydney event. A Modi fan said the “Prime Minister is lifting the image of India worldwide.” Another said it was “an honour just to get a glimpse of the PM.”
5. A special Gujarati thali was served on board the train. At Melbourne, and on the Modi Express, there was a carnival-like atmosphere – Indians waved the national flag and sang and danced.
6. Apart from the 16,000 people that are expected to pack the Allphones Arena, about 5,000 more are expected to watch as Mr Modi speaks on big screens outside the venue.
7. Volunteers who took days off from work to organise the Sydney event, have promised a reception more grand than the one Mr Modi received in September at the famous Madison Square Garden in New York, the playground of the biggest rock stars.
8. About 20,000 people had attended that sold-out event, where the Indian community chanted “Modi, Modi” amid song and colourful dance performances. Hundreds of other NRIs had watched Mr Modi speak on giant screen at New York’s Times Square.
9. PM Modi’s last engagement in Brisbane was a breakfast meeting with top business leaders in Queensland. Dressed in a black suit with a peach-coloured shirt, he assured them that they will find a difference in doing business with India now and promised, “The government is focused on eliminating unnecessary laws and regulations, making processes easier and shorter.”
10. After six hectic hours in Sydney, PM Modi will leave for Canberra and then will visit Melbourne. He is visiting four cities in Australia as part of a 10-day, three-nation tour. He will visit Fiji while on his way back to India from Australia.

Shiv Sena tells BJP: Do not pin any hopes on us in the future

Mumbai: Shiv Sena on Monday ruled out rapprochement with former ally BJP saying the ruling party has “shattered the hopes of the people” after what transpired during the trust vote in Maharashtra assembly.

“We do not need to sit and think over what went wrong (with the BJP) during the Assembly elections and what happened thereafter. But whoever has brought Maharashtra to a state where it has to repent for the misdeeds that happened lately, should not look towards the Sena with hope in the future,” the party said in an edit in its mouthpiece Saamana.

The Sena said that BJP has been subjected to much more mudslinging than the Congress and NCP during their rule in the state in last 15 years.

“The BJP has received much more flak for the drama that happened on the day of trust vote than what the Congress and the NCP received during their 15-year tenure in the state. The dreams and hopes of the people of state have been shattered. Who will pay for this now ? ” it asked.

The former ally said that people voted for change in the Assembly elections, but the aspirations of the people will remain unfulfilled as the BJP has formed a government with the support of the NCP.

“Have people really got a chance to dream for the development of Maharashtra? The Congress rule has ended but like before, New Delhi will play a bigger role in the state today as well,” it said.

“We will work towards keeping Maharashtra a united state and continuously work towards its progress with our strength of 63 MLAs,” it added.

Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena has planned a show of strength on the second death anniversary of the Sena patriarch Balasaheb Thackeray at Shivaji Park on Monday.

Party sources said it would be an opportunity to assert Sena’s pride after the fall out with BJP. However, it’s not clear if Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other BJP leaders will attend the event.

Peter Kassig was beheaded by ISIS terrorists

American aid worker and former soldier Peter Kassing was beheaded by ISIS terrorists, the White House confirmed Sunday, hours after a video claiming to show the victim surfaced online.

ISIS held Kassig as a hostage and in previous communications had threatened his life.

The video shows the aftermath of a beheading in which the victim is not clearly recognizable.

President Barack Obama confirmed the 26-year-old’s beheading, saying Kassig “was taken from us in an act of pure evil by a terrorist group that the world rightly associates with inhumanity.”

Kassig, who converted to Islam in captivity, also went by the name Abdul-Rahman Kassig.

He first traveled to the Middle East as a U.S. soldier and returned as a medical worker, feeling compelled to help victims of war.

He did aid work in Syria, where he was captured. He was held hostage for over a year.

“We are heartbroken to learn that our son, Abdul-Rahman Peter Kassig, has lost his life as a result of his love for the Syrian people and his desire to ease their suffering,” Kassig’s parents, Ed and Paula, said in a statement.

The parents released a previously unpublished audio recording of their son, recorded by a journalist before Kassig was taken captive.

“You know we would have a chance here to make up for a lot wrong that we did in this part of the world if we stepped in, in the right way,” Peter Kassig says in the recording. “If we just as a country did what other people helped me to do in that hospital. How much did I impact the political situation inside Syria? None. How much did I impact the political

situation inside Syria? None. How much did I impact the political situation back home? None. But what I did do is that over period of time in that hospital I was able to share a little bit of hope and comfort with some people.”

The Kassig family expressed heartbreak over the beheadings of the other Westerners who came before their son, and asked for prayers for the safe return of other captives.

“While ISIL revels in the slaughter of innocents, including Muslims, and is bent only on sowing death and destruction, Abdul-Rahman was a humanitarian who worked to save the lives of Syrians injured and dispossessed by the Syrian conflict,” Obama said.

ISIL is another term for the group ISIS, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, which calls itself simply the Islamic State.

The video

A familiar figure appeared in Sunday’s beheading video, dressed in all black and speaking with what sounds like an English accent.

A man fitting the same description appeared in previous videos of the apparent beheadings of other Westerners.

But this recording is different from previously released ones. It is longer, almost 16 minutes, and does not include a statement by the victim, as previous ones had.

And it is utterly brutal, showing in graphic detail the beheadings of other men, whom militants claim are pilots for the Syrian government.

The narration spends much time on ISIS’ history and the figure taunts Obama, saying he will have to return troops to Iraq in greater numbers than before.

And for the first time in such a video, the speaker names the place where he is standing with the victim — in the town of Dabiq in Aleppo province, Syria.

With deadline just a week away, Iran, the United States and other world powers are converging in Vienna

With the deadline just a week away, Iran, the United States and other world powers are converging in Vienna to reach a historic, comprehensive agreement that will mark the closure of the 12-year-long deadlock on Iran’s nuclear programme.

The discussions are scheduled to begin on Tuesday. Compromises have been found on previously contentious issues and detailed texts of different versions of the final deal have been prepared. However, diplomats said that some political decisions over Iran’s capacity to enrich Uranium in the future and the sequence in which international sanctions will be lifted which are to be made in national capitals are still pending, reported The Guardian.

Several leading arms-control experts have argued that the residual obstacles are more political in nature than substantial and driven by the need of President Barack Obama’s administration and President Hassan Rouhani’s reformist government in Iran to reassure conservatives at home, rather than by the actual requirements of Iran’s nuclear energy programme or genuine concerns over nuclear nonproliferation.

There is also dissent among the six world nations involved in the negotiations with France opposing nuclear concessions more than the other five (the US, UK, Germany, Russia and China).

However, a collapse in the negotiations will have serious and rapid ramifications as the US Congress is poised to impose a new wave of sanctions on Iran. It will be difficult for Obama to sustain a veto over new punitive measures in a Senate that is thronged with Republicans.

In response, hardliners in Iran will possibly demand an end to the partial freeze on the Iranian nuclear programme which was negotiated in an interim deal years ago. Mutual escalation may easily push the 12-year-old stalemate back to the brink of war.

India completed a resounding 5-0 whitewash over Sri Lanka by winning fifth ODI

Ranchi: Skipper Virat Kohli led from the front with a gritty unbeaten century as a dominant India completed a resounding 5-0 whitewash over Sri Lanka by winning the fifth and final One-day International by three wickets here on Sunday.

Opting to bat, Sri Lanka rode on their skipper Angelo Mathews’ unbeaten 116-ball 139 to put up a challenging 286 for eight at the JSCA International Stadium Complex, before Kohli (139) guided India home with eight balls to spare.

Kohli struck 12 fours and three sixes during his 126-ball captain’s knock as India boosted their confidence ahead of the tough upcoming tour of Australia.

A screaming Kohli sealed the issue by hitting Mendis for a six over long-on after completing his 21st century and the fourth this year.

Incidentally, Mathews too scored the same number of runs runs in setting up respectable score, but the day belonged to his Indian counterpart as India geared up to the Australia tour before the World Cup with a memorable series triumph.

Watched on by his GCA president Amit Shah, Axar Patel played a perfect cameo remaining unbeaten on 17 from 14 balls in an undefeated 57-run partnership from 32 balls.

Chasing a fighting 287, India looked in firm control with Kohli and Rayudu (59 from 69 balls) putting on 136 runs for the third wicket, but the latter was unfortunately run out by the skipper triggering a mini collapse.

Lanka almost had the twist in the tale after Mendis (4/73) claimed the wickets of Stuart Binny and R Ashwin in successive deliveries as Kohli remained stranded at the other end.

The collapse that began with Rayudu’s wicket meant India lost five wickets for 81 runs but Kohli held his nerves and took on Mendis, stepping out to hit a big six and a four to turn the match in India’s favour.

Scripting yet another run chase, Kohli brought back the memories of his 77 not out in their run chase against England in January last year, in the first match at the venue.

It was their best ever fight on the gruelling tour that came up suddenly, and heavy dew played a big role in their narrow defeat.

Skipper Virat Kohli led from the front with a gritty unbeaten century as a dominant India completed a resounding 5-0 whitewash over Sri Lanka by winning the fifth and final One-day International by three wickets here today.

Opting to bat, Sri Lanka rode on their skipper Angelo Mathews’ unbeaten 116-ball 139 to put up a challenging 286 for eight at the JSCA International Stadium Complex, before Kohli (139) guided India home with eight balls to spare.

Kohli struck 12 fours and three sixes during his 126-ball captain’s knock as India boosted their confidence ahead of the tough upcoming tour of Australia.

A screaming Kohli sealed the issue by hitting Mendis for a six over long-on after completing his 21st century and the fourth this year.

Incidentally, Mathews too scored the same number of runs runs in setting up respectable score, but the day belonged to his Indian counterpart as India geared up to the Australia tour before the World Cup with a memorable series triumph.

Watched on by his GCA president Amit Shah, Axar Patel played a perfect cameo remaining unbeaten on 17 from 14 balls in an undefeated 57-run partnership from 32 balls.

Chasing a fighting 287, India looked in firm control with Kohli and Rayudu (59 from 69 balls) putting on 136 runs for the third wicket, but the latter was unfortunately run out by the skipper triggering a mini collapse.

Lanka almost had the twist in the tale after Mendis (4/73) claimed the wickets of Stuart Binny and R Ashwin in successive deliveries as Kohli remained stranded at the other end.

The collapse that began with Rayudu’s wicket meant India lost five wickets for 81 runs but Kohli held his nerves and took on Mendis, stepping out to hit a big six and a four to turn the match in India’s favour.

Scripting yet another run chase, Kohli brought back the memories of his 77 not out in their run chase against England in January last year, in the first match at the venue.

It was their best ever fight on the gruelling tour that came up suddenly, and heavy dew played a big role in their narrow defeat.

But Mathews was left stranded at the non-strikers’ end as

Dhawal Kulkarni bowled a fine last over in which he claimed two wickets and gave away four runs.

Kulkarni was expensive but was the pick of the Indian bowlers with 3/57, while Axar Patel (2/45) and Ravichandran Ashwin (2/56) took two apiece.

Opener Tillakaratne Dilshan produced a quickfire 24-ball 35 as Sri Lanka had raced to 32/1 in 4.4 overs, but they were soon tottering for 85/4 in 18.3 overs.

Sri Lanka had the perfect script to post a big total but they once again frittered away a good start given by Dilshan who punished Kulkarni for three boundaries in the very first over.

The intention was clear but lack of application from his partner Niroshan Dickwella, who was making his ODI debut, meant that they failed to build on the flying start.

India, on the other hand, were sharp on the field as Rayudu took a forward diving catch to dismiss the left-hander Dickwella, who failed to read a slower one from Kulkarni.

The visitors were going at a healthy run-rate of 6.85 with Dilshan firing at the other but the Lankan’s experiment of trying out a new combination failed with India striking striking in the fifth over.

Kulkarni might have been be expensive to start with but Binny bowled a tight line at the other end as the duo did a good job with the new ball in absence of India’s pace spearhead in this series Umesh Yadav, who was rested.

Binny did not have the pace and Dilshan looked untroubled, picking them with ease till a gem of a slower one angled in to beat the Lankan opener’s defence and crash into his middle stump.

Dinesh Chandimal (5) looked out of sorts in the middle and struggled against the Indian spinners who were brought in after the 12th over before getting out to Patel.

Jayawardene looked elegant as usual but could not prolong his innings before Ashwin generated a sharp turner with bounce and the Lankan could not escape.